Positive thinking is the best healer

Expectations can trigger physical healing, scientists find!!!

Your medicine really could work better if your doctor talks it up before handing over the prescription.

Research is showing the power of expectations, that they have physical — not just psychological — effects on your health. Scientists can measure the resulting changes in the brain, from the release of natural painkilling chemicals to alterations in how neurons fire.

Among the most provocative findings: New research suggests that once Alzheimer’s disease robs someone of the ability to expect that a proven painkiller will help them, it doesn’t work nearly as well.

It’s a new spin on the so-called placebo effect — and it begs the question of how to harness this power and thus enhance treatment benefits for patients.

The placebo effect is infamous from studies of new medications: Scientists often given either an experimental drug or a dummy pill to patients and see how they fare. Frequently, those taking the fake feel better, too, for a while, making it more difficult to tease out the medication’s true effects.

Doctors have long thought the placebo effect was psychological.

Now scientists are amassing the first direct evidence that the placebo effect actually is physical, and that expecting benefit can trigger the same neurological pathways of healing as real medication does. Among them:

University of Michigan scientists injected the jaws of healthy young men with salt water to cause painful pressure, while PET scans measured the impact in their brains. During one scan, the men were told they were getting a pain reliever, actually a placebo.
Their brains immediately released more endorphins — chemicals that act as natural painkillers by blocking the transmission of pain signals between nerve cells — and the men felt better. To return to pre-placebo pain levels, scientists had to increase the salt-water pressure.

“Our brain really is on drugs when we get a placebo,” says co-researcher Christian Stohler, now at the University of Maryland. More remarkable, some especially strong placebo responders suggest “many brains can actually stimulate that (pain-relief) system more.”


Taken from
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10242034/

PASSIONATE LOVE - The Science Behind It

Scientists say passionate love fizzles after a year!!!!

Your heartbeat accelerates, you have butterflies in the stomach, you feel euphoric and a bit silly. It’s all part of falling passionately in love. In Rome scientists now tell us the feeling won’t last more than a year. HUH!

The powerful emotions that bowl over new lovers are triggered by a molecule known as nerve growth factor (NGF), according to Pavia University researchers.

The Italian scientists found far higher levels of NGF in the blood of 58 people who had recently fallen madly in love than in that of a group of singles and people in long-term relationships.

But after a year with the same lover, the quantity of the ‘love molecule’ in their blood had fallen to the same level as that of the other groups.

The Italian researchers, publishing their study in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, said it was not clear how falling in love triggers higher levels of NGF, but the molecule clearly has an important role in the "social chemistry" between people at the start of a relationship.

Taken from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10252428/

Places - New Attraction in India Part 2

The Akshardham Temple in New Delhi, India

I have more beautiful pictures of this fascinating place. This place is going to be in my "Places to visit list" when I go to India. For those who missed the first part, click HERE.

Happy Birthday...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DEAR DADDY!!!!
and AUNTY SARJIT
and LIM SHA LI
and late SIR JOHN AMBROSE FLEMING.

Well, who's these people???
My dad - he's the greatest dad, retired police officer, Mr Saljit Singh.
My aunt - my father's eldest sister - Mrs Sarjit Kaur who lives in Bukit Mertajam.
My dear secondary school friend - Lim Sha Li.
Lastly, Sir John Ambrose Fleming, the inventor of diode. He was born exactly 100 years before my dad. WOW!!!

Just For Laugh

Lovely Old Hindi Song 1

Hindi Song Title: Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko
Movie: Yaadon Ki Baraat
Singer(s): Asha Bosle, Mohd Rafi

(Woman)
Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko
Nazar nahin churaana sanam
Badalke meri tum zindagaani
Kahin badal na jaana sanam
Oh, le liya dil, oh haai mera dil
Haai dil lekar mujhko na behlaana

Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko
Nazar nahin churaana sanam
Badalke meri tum zindagaani
Kahin badal na jaana sanam

Bahaar banke aaoon kabhi tumhaari duniya mein
Guzar na jaaye yeh din kahin isi tamanna mein
Bahaar banke aaoon kabhi tumhaari duniya mein
Guzar na jaaye yeh din kahin isi tamanna mein
Tum mere ho, ho tum mere ho
Aaj tum itna vaada karte jaana

Chura liya
Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko
Nazar nahin churaana sanam
Badalke meri tum zindagaani
Kahin badal na jaana sanam

(Man)
Ho, sajaaoonga lutkar bhi tere badan ki daali ko
Lahoo jigar ka doonga haseen labon ki laali ko
Sajaaoonga lutkar bhi tere badan ki daali ko
Lahoo jigar ka doonga haseen labon ki laali ko
Hai vafa kya is jahaan ko
Ek din dikhla doonga main deewana

Chura liya
Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko
Nazar nahin churaana sanam
Badalke meri tum zindagaani
Kahin badal na jaana sanam
Le liya dil, haai mera dil
Haai dil lekar mujhko na behlaana

Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko
Nazar nahin churaana sanam


Translation:

(Woman)
Stolen you have from me my heart
Please don't now steal my sight oh darling
After changing my life you have
Please don't you change oh darling
Oh, you have taken my heart, oh my dear heart
Oo don't try to take my heart then entertain me

Stolen you have from me my heart
Please don't now steal my sight oh darling
After changing my life you have
Please don't you change oh darling

I shall come like a hurricane some day into your world
Don't let this day pass just thinking about what can happen
I shall come like a hurricane some day into your world
Don't let this day pass just thinking about what can happen
You are mine, oh you are mine
Please just make this promise to me before you go

Stolen
Stolen you have from me my heart
Please don't now steal my sight oh darling
After changing my life you have
Please don't you change oh darling

(Man)
Oo, I shall decorate your branches
Give you my body's blood to the redness of your beautiful lips
I shall decorate your branches
Give you my body's blood to the redness of your beautiful lips
Oo, what is honesty in this world?
One day this mad lover shall show

Stolen
Stolen you have from me my heart
Please don't now steal my sight oh darling
After changing my life you have
Please don't you change oh darling
Oh, you have taken my heart, oh my dear heart
Oo don't try to take my heart then entertain me

Stolen you have from me my heart
Please don't now steal my sight oh darling

Overnight

As I had expected...I had to work overnight, but I wasn't the only one. There were about 15 of us working overnight. The rubbish bin beside my table is half full of tissues, all because of "The Flu". Thanks to my colleges they supplied me with panadol and vitamin C tablets. I may not have survived without them. Now, it is 9.30 am and I have another 1 more CD to burn and then I can go home. Hooray!!!!!! Holiday for me....I don't think I want to come back to work today. Rest at home ... recover from "The Flu".

Garba and Dandia

Wow, What a night? Yesterday was Hari's Garba Wedding Night, and it was fabulous. All the colourful and shining saris, lenggars and punjabi suits on the dance floor were just so fantastic. I am so happy I got to attend it. Hari's sisters and cousins did a wonderful show. I only pity the guys who carried Hari in the dholi, they looked like they were in a lot of pain. Luckily for them Hari is very light. The food also was superb...I especially enjoyed the Pau Bhaji.

Hari was really taking off on the dance floor. She and Mr Kai sure to be in bed for a good rest today after all that dancing. I only regret one thing, that is not being able to stay back and help them out. All because I myself has worn out by "The Flu" and dancing, of course. And that I had to go early to work the next day. And I am glad I did go home and have my rest. As Monday there is a deadline, Sunday is gonna be another working overnight day...

Red nose...

Nose running or running nose....
it's the same for me.

I am SICK.
I am COLD.
I am at WORK.

Wedding Ceremonies Starts

Oh, tiring days, when are there going to be over. Hopefully December is free and easy. Now I guess all the preparations for Hari's wedding is nearly done. Kolam by J - done. Dholi structure by Nick and deco by Hari's sisters - done. Most importantly me for motivation, ha ha - done. My dear friend Hari's wedding is coming near and everyone is excited including herself. Today the ceremonies begin. She must be really excited now. She is a lucky girl. And of course, her to be husband, Mr Kai is one very very very lucky guy. He is ok just as long as he doesn't restrict Hari from going out with us for our own personnal chats.

The Chronicles of Narnia - the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

This is a movie I am looking forward to watch...






Synopsis

Four siblings -- Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Lucy (Georgie Henley), Peter (William Moseley), and Susan (Anna Popplewell) -- are sent from their London home to the country estate of an eccentric professor in order to ensure their safety during World War II. The house is very dull, except for a large, ornate wardrobe discovered by young Lucy during a game of hide-and-seek. Venturing inside of it in the hopes of finding a hiding place, Lucy is transported to a snowy alternate universe: a magical world called Narnia. The land is populated by talking animals and ruled over by the benevolent lion god Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson), but sadly, the world is also in a state of perpetual winter. The white witch Jadis (Tilda Swinton), lustful for power and governed by narcissism, has cursed Narnia with a tyrannical decree that it will always be winter but never Christmas. Now, the children must fight alongside Aslan for the salvation of Narnia, but one of them, seduced by the charisma of the white witch, may choose to fight on the wrong side.

Read more about it at:
http://adisney.go.com/disneypictures/narnia/main.html

Health - Stress

Dieting can help make all that yummy food harder to resist!!!

As the holidays are fast approaching.
You’re stressed, trying to diet and tempting foods abound.
This is the perfect recipe for overeating.

There are three aspects of eating behavior:
* motivation (how bad you want the food)
* anticipation (how excited were they to get it)
* intake (how much did they eat)
in relation to how hungry or satisfied a person was and how palatable the food was.

A “key observation” is that foods with a higher hedonic value (more palatable) induce food intake independently of whether the person is in a food-satisfied or food-deprived state (a.k.a, homeostatic state).

So, people out there, who think they need to loose some pounds, beware.
Don't stress up yourself thinking about it. Just eat a proper diet and exercise well.

Busy Day

It has been a very busy day and so I really had no time to update the blog today. Looks like I will only reach home after 1 am. Chiau, blog tomorrow.

Neutral Day

This day started with a good long sleep, and that's why I was late to work. After posting this message I should be as busy as a bee and try to finish my work which has been piling. Today I don't know what will I be able to do and not do. I hope I can do everything but I can't split myself into two.

Anyway, my brother is well in progress with the dholi for my dear friend Hari's wedding. So, hopefully I can join them today night and help in the decorating part. Luckily Hari is light, those who shall carry the dholi won't have to suffer. I can't imagine what will be going through those guys while carrying the dholi if I would be sitting in it. Kaboom!

Health - Lung Disease

Interesting fact!

Viagra may be useful for serious lung disease.

Treatment with Viagra (sildenafil) can improve exercise capacity and functional ability in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, a serious disease involving high pressure in the blood vessels that enter the lungs, new research suggests.

The findings, which appear in The New England Journal of Medicine, are based on a study of 278 patients who were randomly selected to receive Viagra, at one of three doses, or inactive “placebo” three times daily for 12 weeks.

The main endpoint was the distance walked in 6 minutes. According to the report, the study did not have enough patients to assess the effect of Viagra on the risk of death.

At all of the doses tested, Viagra significantly improved the 6-minute walking distance when compared with placebo, lead author Dr. Nazzareno Galie, from the University of Bologna in Italy, and colleagues note. For the 222 patients who used Viagra for 1 year, the improvement in distance was 51 meters.

In addition, all of the Viagra doses were associated with a significant drop in lung blood pressure and with an improvement in functional ability.

Consistent with previous reports, side effects, such as flushing and diarrhea, were more common with Viagra than with placebo, the findings indicate.

However, as noted, the study was not designed to assess Viagra’s effect on the risk of death.

Food: Onions

Unless you're on a date, it's time to add onions to your diet for hundreds of reasons, the first one being flavor. The aroma is wonderful, the texture can be anywhere from crisp to unnoticeable, but the flavor and health benefits are endless.

Onions are in the same family as garlic, leeks and shallots, and provide your body with a large range of nutritional benefits. They are low in calories, and high in vitamins B and C, plus a few minerals. They have antioxidant effects that can reduce blood clotting and raise your good cholesterol levels.

So unless you live in Nacogdoches, Texas, where it's against the law for "young women" to indulge in any raw onions after 6 p.m., you can eat onions anytime you like and no matter which healthy eating plan you are on.

Read more about different types of onions, their benefits and recipes at
http://www.ediets.com/news/article.cfm/
cmi_1306825/cid_1/code_76074/

42nd Annual Gurmat Parchaar Samelan 2005

Samelan this year is in KLANG. Well I think the closing date has been extended, so those who are interested can contact Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia. I am going to register today. Yahoo..... It will be my first time as a Sewadar. More info please check http://www.snsm.org.my/

Not enough sleep

By the time I reached home and get ready to sleep, it was already 10.30 am. A was more asleep while driving back than I was then. Luckily I reached home safely. The poor flowers had to wait till next day to get some water. Then, it was time to knock out on the bed.

I was planning to wake up back at 11.30 am to send my sister to school but thanks to my brother who was on MC, I get to sleep longer. I didn't even realize the time passing and it was 1.30 pm already. "Get up. Get up." I forced myself. "I have to be at work. So much more to do." And so I woke up, took a shower, had lunch and left for work. I reached work at 3pm. I hope today I can go home early and sleep.

No sleep

Now is already 8.00 am in the morning and I and a few friends are still at work. It has been so long since we had to stay back this long. So sleeeeeepy. We just finished and now I'm thinking how to drive home. I guess blast some music into my ears first, wake my self a bit then go. I have tried washing my face, it doesn't seem to work anymore. I want my bed....

A Song sung by Abhijeet

Hindi Song Title: JAANA ZINDAGI SE NA JANA
Album Name: AAPKA ABHIJEET SAWANT
Singer(s): ABHIJEET SAWANT, PRAJAKTA SHUKRE

jaana zindagi se na jana
pyar ka yeh khazana loot na jaye kahi
jaana hum rahenge tumhare
hain jab tak sitarein, hain jab tak zameen

duniya sari dekar lelu main ek tera pyar,yeh pyar
saathi ho jo tere jaisa kya karna sansar, sansar
zameen hain kya jo tu kahe
main chand pe tere saath chalu
o o o jaana zindagi se na jana
pyar ka yeh khazana loot na jaye kahi
jaana hum rahenge tumhare
hain jab tak sitarein, hain jab tak zameen

mere jeevan main tere geeton ki jhankar, jhankar
tere sang main angaron par chalne ko tayyar, tayyar
tum dur ho hazar gum
tum pass ho to mujhe hai khushi
o o o jaana zindagi se na jana
pyar ka yeh khazana loot na jaye kahi
jaana hum rahenge tumhare
hain jab tak sitarein, hain jab tak zameen

jaana ho o o jaana
jaana ho o o jaana
jaana


Translation:

Darling, don't ever go away from my life
Don't this treasure of love gets robbed away
Darling I will stay yours
As long as there are stars, as long as there is land

I'll give away the whole world to get your love, this love
If there is a life parner like you, what do we need this world for, this world
What is land? Whatever you say
I would even go to the moon with you
Ooo... Darling don't ever go away from my life
Don't this treasure of love gets robbed away
Darling I will stay yours
As long as there are stars, as long as there is land

In my life there is sound of your music, music
With you, to walk on burning coals, I am ready, ready
You are so far, tousands of sadness
When you are close, I fell happiness
Ooo... Darling don't ever go away from my life
Don't this treasure of love gets robbed away
Darling I will stay yours
As long as there are stars, as long as there is land

Darling Ooo... Darling
Darling Ooo... Darling
Darling Ooo... Darling
Darling

Flowers

I had always dreamed of the day when a guy who loves me would send me a bouquet of roses. Today I received a bouquet of roses, but instead of feeling happy, I was sad. He who sent me those flowers as what I know is just a friend. I hardly even know him. I haven't seen him before not even in a picture and he is so far far away. Why did he send these flowers? Just because I am impatient and got angry. Why for such a reasons? Instead of smiling, I am feeling afraid. Why today, the whole day he did not say a word to me? It is unfair for him to cluster my thoughts and steal my dreams.

FALL in LOVE

Wealth, Success and Love

My dear cousin Dalb passed my this lovely mail. I guess it's worth sharing with you all, so here it is:

A woman came out of her house and saw 3 old men with long white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry. Please come in and have something to eat."

"Is the man of the house home?", they asked.

"No", she replied. "He's out."

"Then we cannot come in", they replied.

In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had happened.

"Go tell them I am home and invite them in!"

The woman went out and invited the men in"

"We do not go into a House together," they replied.

"Why is that?" she asked.

One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one, "He is Success, and I am Love." Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one of us you want in your home."

The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband was overjoyed. "How n ice!!", he said. "Since that is the case, let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with wealth!"

His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?"

Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!"

"Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to his wife.

"Go out and invite Love to be our guest."

The woman went out and asked the 3 old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come in and be our guest."

Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other 2 also got up and followed him. Surprised, t he lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited Love, Why are you coming in?"

The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!!!!"

MONDOY

It's Monday, a new week. What a tiring day was yesterday, for my dear friend J and her family. Congratulations to GY as now she is officially engaged to Mr. BIL. The whole ceromory went well and I enjoyed every part of it. Thanks for inviting me and letting me give a helping hand. I know I know I'm forgetting something. I didn't give GY her present yet. Well sorry, it's late. I hope all the pictures come out well. Now I can't wait for the big day - THE WEDDING....

Sleep

Oh, dear. I feel sad. I feel as though there is a big sack of rice on my chest and I can't move away the pain. The whole day I tried occupying myself with something to do but my mind just tends to wonder off. Why is my life such in a puzzle?

How I just wished that I have what I really want? I just feel life is unfair at this moment. It's already 2am and the day has already started to feel worse. So many things to do but none which I am actually looking forward to. There is just too much of sadness in my heart now that makes me feel like throwing up. I just feel like locking myself in a room and cry myself to sleep.

A Day Ahead

Oh, today I'm not well and been called in back to work.

Actress - Jennifer Garner

Date of birth : 17 April 1972
Place of birth : Houston, Texas, USA










Actress - filmography :

Be with You (2007) (announced)
Catch and Release (2006) (filming)
Charlotte's Web (2006) (post-production) (voice)
Elektra (2005)
The Animated Alias: Tribunal (2004) (V) (voice)

13 Going On 30 (2004)

Alias (2004) (VG) (voice)

Daredevil (2003)
Catch Me If You Can (2002)

"Alias" (2001) TV Series
Rennie's Landing (2001)
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Dude, Where's My Car? (2000)
Aftershock: Earthquake in New York (1999) (TV)
"Time of Your Life" (1999) TV Series
"Significant Others" (1998) TV Series
1999 (1998)
Mr. Magoo (1997)
Washington Square (1997)
Deconstructing Harry (1997)
Rose Hill (1997) (TV)
In Harm's Way (1997)
The Player (1997) (TV)
"Dead Man's Walk" (1996) (mini) TV Series
Harvest of Fire (1996) (TV)
Zoya (1995) (TV)

Producer - filmography :

Be with You (2007) (announced) (co-producer)
"Alias" (2001) TV Series (producer) (2005-)

Tiring Day

After so many sleepless nights, today I slept the longest. All because my sister didn't have an exam today and I didn't have to wake up so early to send her. But regret over sleeping. I woke up at 9am, which was the time I was surposed to be at work. Late to work after so many day or early to work. And I feel more tired then the previous days. Head is spinning.

Today I hardly did any work. I feel very bad. MY body hurts and I don't feel so good.

Health - Diabetes

Prevent Vision Loss

In honor of National Diabetes Month, I am posting more stuff on diabetes. One of the complication of this disease that is too often overlooked is vision loss. Some diabetes patients may not even be aware the disease can rob them of their sight.

The symptoms of vision loss can be extremely subtle at first. However, once your eyesight is gone, it can never be restored. According to recent figures, more than 5.3 million Americans above the age of 18 suffer from diabetic retinopathy. In fact, nearly half of all diabetes patients eventually develop some form of this disease. Diabetic retinopathy is a disease that weakens the blood vessels in the retina, causing them to deteriorate, leak or become blocked.

To help people protect themselves against vision loss, here are some practical advice:

---Visit Your Eye Doctor. If you have diabetes or are at risk for this disease, it is essential to have your eyes checked at least once every year.

---Get to a Healthy Weight. If you are overweight, follow a healthy meal plan. Research shows that even a modest amount of weight loss can lower your risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.

---Exercise. Regular exercise is one of the most important steps you can take for proper diabetes management. It is important to speak with your personal physician before adopting any new exercise program.

---Monitor Your Blood Sugar. It is important to keep your blood sugar and blood pressure under control.

---Quit smoking. Not smoking and consuming only moderate amounts of alcohol at most will help decrease your risk for developing diabetic retinopathy.

Stay healthy.

Health - Psychology

A tranquil state may help squash anxiety.

People look at life differently.

Upon entering the local Buddhist monastery, there is a spectacular sculpture the size of a large oak. The intricate carving of clouds and patterns are painted in powerful colors. But as soon as winter gives way, this magnificent work will melt to nothing. The sculpture, in fact, is made of butter, and it is one of the highland people's symbols of the transient nature of life.

And life here is not easy. Villagers bicycle to work before dawn and return home long after sunset. Many live with nothing more than dirt floors and rickety outhouses. Upon entering these modest mud-brick homes, you'll find no tables or chairs -- just a long platform bed, which sleeps a family of eight. However, when the people invite you in for tea, their smiles are wide and welcoming. How do they possess such inner calm in conditions we would call less than ideal?

When villagers cook, sew or plow the fields, they do so in a tranquil state. As an approach to life, weaving meditation seamlessly into almost every action throughout the day seems unfamiliar to Western cultures. Is there something we can glean from this way of life that will improve our own? The romantic notion of quitting everything and joining Tibetan monks on a mountaintop is not the only way to meditate. You don't need to quit your job, give up your possessions and spend 30 years chanting. Recent research indicates that meditating brings about dramatic effects in as little as a 10-minute session. Several studies have demonstrated that subjects who meditated for a short time showed increased alpha waves (the relaxed brain waves) and decreased anxiety and depression.

To explore exactly what part of the brain meditation acts on, researchers at Harvard Medical School used MRI technology on participants to monitor brain activity while they meditated. They found that it activates the sections of the brain in charge of the autonomic nervous system, which governs the functions in our bodies that we can't control, such as digestion and blood pressure. These are also the functions that are often compromised by stress. It makes sense, then, that modulating these functions would help to ward off stress-related conditions such as heart disease, digestive problems and infertility.

Meditation: What is It?

Aside from determining its physiological effects, defining the actual act of meditation can be as elusive as imagining the sound of one hand clapping. In his book, "What is Meditation?" (Shambhala Publications, 1999), Rob Nairn talks about it as a state of "bare attention." He explains, "It is a highly alert and skillful state of mind because it requires one to remain psychologically present and `with' whatever happens in and around one without adding to or subtracting from it in any way."

The physical act of meditation generally consists of simply sitting quietly, focusing on one's breath, a word or phrase. However, a meditator may also be walking or standing. It isn't unusual, in fact, to see a meditating monk in the highlands walking a few steps and then lying prostrate over and over again until he reaches his destination many miles away.

There are many traditions and countless ways to practice meditation, and perhaps because of its polymorphous nature new meditators wonder whether they are doing it correctly. According to a psychologist and a meditator, there is one way to know for sure: "If you're feeling better at the end, you are probably doing it right."

It sound easy, but many people can't seem to get the hang of it, no matter how often they try.

Seeking methods for quieting that internal chatter and reducing stress are what initially attract many people to meditation. It is a very effective stress-reducer, which is a way into the practice for many people. If someone is struggling with feelings of anxiety, he or she may benefit from its calming aspects. And it's absolutely facilitative of mental health because it brings about a higher level of self-acceptance and insight about oneself.

But greater awareness about oneself can be a double-edged sword. A psychiatrist in private practice and a meditation practitioner, extends a caution about one of the ironies of meditating. "It could actually raise your level of anxiety if there are certain feelings you are not owning." In other words, there's nowhere to hide when you're practicing "bare attention." And this, for some people, is both the good and the bad news.

That's why some experts suggest marrying meditation to psychotherapy.
Both allow the person to be present for the moment, open and nondefensive. "In both meditation and psychotherapy, we are trying not to get caught up in internal preoccupation, but to be intimately present with what is happening here and now."

To explain his thoughts on the connection, he compares Zen to relational psychoanalytical theories. He writes that it "encourages its practitioners to become aware of the fundamentally distorted aspects of an overly individualistic view of human experience. Recognizing that the true nature of all individuals is emphatically non-individual, neither lasting nor separate, is the wisdom of Zen."

Silence and Science

Certainly anything that helps us fight stress is a welcome tool. But what else might meditation be doing for us? Since researchers began amassing data, many studies have shown that indeed meditation has not only a mental but a profound physiological effect on the body. Studies have shown that, among other benefits, meditation can help reverse heart disease, the number-one killer in the U.S. It can reduce pain and enhance the body's immune system, enabling it to better fight disease.

More new research offers additional encouragement. In a study published last year in the journal Stroke, 60 African-Americans with atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, practiced meditation for six to nine months. (African-Americans are twice as likely to die from cardiovascular disease as are whites.) The meditators showed a marked decrease in the thickness of their artery walls, while the nonmeditators actually showed an increase. The change for the meditation group could potentially bring about an 11 percent decrease in the risk of heart attack and an 8 percent to 15 percent decrease in the risk of stroke.

A second study, published last year in Psychosomatic Medicine, taught a randomized group of 90 cancer patients mindful meditation (another type of practice). After seven weeks, those who had meditated reported that they were significantly less depressed, anxious, angry and confused than the control group, which hadn't practiced meditation. The meditators also had more energy and fewer heart and gastrointestinal problems than did the other group.

Other recent research has looked at precisely what happens during meditation that allows it to cause these positive physical changes. Researchers at the Maharishi School of Management in Fairfield, Iowa, found that meditation has a pervasive effect on stress. They looked at a group of people who had meditated for four months and found that they produced less of the stress hormone cortisol. They were therefore better able to adapt to stress in their lives, no matter what their circumstances were.

Diana Adile Kirschner, Ph.D., a Philadelphia-area clinical psychologist, sometimes refers her clients to learn meditation and has seen firsthand how helpful it can be. "Not only is meditation an absolutely marvelous destressor, it helps people better relate to one another," she says. "I can tell when clients are following through with meditation. For instance, I had a couple who consistently bickered. After they started meditating, they came in less angry, more self-reflective and more loving."

So why aren't more people taking up the practice? "Because it puts us in the middle of ourselves, which is not always where we want to be," suggests Thomson. "Often, we want to fix things rather than accept them the way they are. Many of us feel as though we can't afford the time and energy to meditate, when in fact we can't afford not to."

Epstein and several other experts feel that meditation's effectiveness has to do with putting aside attachment to one's ego. As he says, "When you look directly at a star at night, it's difficult to see. But when you look away slightly, it comes into focus. I find it to be the same way with the ego and meditating. When one zeroes in on a sense of self through a practice of meditation, the self-important ego paradoxically becomes elusive. You become more aware that you are interconnected with other beings, and you can better put your own worries into their proper perspective."

A group of elderly Chinese maintain their connection by meeting every daybreak in the village common in Monterey Park, California. They swoop their arms and stretch their torsos in graceful harmony, and then stand absolutely still, simply meditating. Only puffs of warm air flow from their nostrils. All of them look vibrant and relatively young, when in fact they are well into their years.

Birthday Lady

To dearest Poh Lee,

Happy birthday! Hope you live another 100 years.
I'm sorry I could not join you for lunch just now.
I had a deadline and I could not leave.

Poh Lee, a pretty, wonderful, extraordinary lady.
She knows everything, very very experienced in everything.
Always cheerful and I'm happy to have her as a friend.

HaPpY bIrThDaY tO yOu....

Planning Ahead

Hmm.....This weekend it is going to be very busy. I better plan out and hope everything goes on well. Well, I guess I have to start from today then.

Today, after work, go home teach my sister Add Maths. Oh she is so week in it and so much to go through.

Friday, to work then back to sister.

Saturday, go gym then have a raya open house to attend to. At last back to sister again or maybe take her out for a movie break. Hmmm ... not a bad idea. I shall think about it ..... if her add maths studies are going fine ..... a movie should be a good reward.

Sunday, not sure yet, may work, may go gym, may teach, may swim, or even just sleep that is in the morning of course. Afternoon, my best friend's sister's engagement. Gayathiri and Rajesh. Oh, I'm so excited!. I nearly forgot....I haven't got her a gift yet. Well I think I can fit that between gym and raya on Saturday.

That's all this week.

Food - Chocolates

The Truth About Chocolate

It can heal your heart and mind—but you have to eat the right kind.
Here's what to avoid, what to indulge in.



If it hasn't occurred to you to toss chocolate shavings into a salad, shake cocoa powder over a bowl of popcorn, or serve chicken with a savory chocolate mole sauce, now might be a good time to ask yourself why. Scientists are finding that chocolate—or, more specifically, cocoa powder made from ground, defatted cocoa beans—contains compounds that have the potential to protect against heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes.

Cocoa beans contain substantial amounts of antioxidants, dietary substances that mop up free radicals. (The cell damage they cause can lead to cancer-triggering mutations or blood-vessel scarring that accelerates heart problems.) Disease-fighting antioxidants are also present in blueberries, kale, spinach, tea, red wine and grape juice. But chocolate is a particularly potent source; ounce for ounce, dark chocolate has five times as many antioxidants as blueberries.

Food scientists are no longer shy about praising chocolate, and not just as a dip for strawberries. Several studies have demonstrated that antioxidants in chocolate—known as flavonols—help lower levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol while boosting "good" HDL cholesterol. Flavonols seem to ease inflammation, opening blood vessels and improving blood flow. These antioxidants can prevent platelets from adhering to the lining of blood vessels, inhibit blood clotting and help prevent plaque formation in the arteries.

And like a quality bar of Valrhona, the research keeps getting better. A recent Italian study confirmed that dark chocolate can decrease blood pressure; it also revealed that the dark stuff may help prevent type 2 diabetes by encouraging hormones to transport sugar from the blood into cells for fuel. In another study, soccer players who ate 3.7 ounces of milk chocolate every day for 2 weeks had improved markers of cardiovascular health, including lower blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and total cholesterol than soccer players who ate white chocolate (which contains few flavonols).

WOW, we should eat more chocolate now. YAY!!!

Health

Living With Diabetes

Can diet control both types of diabetes?

There are two types of diabetes. Both are different diseases with similar symptoms. The first type is a disease of pancreatic failure, where the pancreas stops releasing insulin in response to eating carbohydrates. The second type is a disease of insulin resistance, or insulin insufficiency.

Both diseases result in chronic high blood sugar, and both diseases cause medical complications because of high blood sugar. With Type 1 diabetes, you always need injected insulin for treatment; people with Type 2 diabetes can often control their blood sugar with a combination of diet and exercise and sometimes oral medications.

Diet is very important for both types. Approximately 80 percent or more of people with Type 2 diabetes are overweight, and health experts associate excess weight with the development of Type 2 diabetes. Eating the right amount of food is crucial for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. For those who must take injections, insulin has to be monitored with food eaten.

All people with diabetes need to stay at a healthy weight, include whole grains, fruits and vegetables daily and balance meals with healthy protein and fat.

Birthdays Today

Today is 16 November 2005.
I didn't realize that I knew many people who were born on this very same day.
I have 3 friends born on this day - multiracial.

Happy Birthday to Mega(Megawati)
- The coolest chick I know.
- She really is coooool. Once she dyed her hair red.
- And another time green, either colours, she looked good.

Happy Birthday to Jack(Wei Kiat)
- The macho hot guy.
- He walks cool, talks cool, sits and does his work cool.
- Even looks super macho cool with her earings.

Happy Birthday to Vishal(Vishaljeet Singh)
- The charming dashing guy with a voice to die for.
- I unique personality difficult to uncover.
- Artistic and a dreamer.

Hey, you three, have a good time, and Happy Birthday again.
I hope tomorrow I can get their pictures to post,
that is if there are not too shy.

Health

Exercise can add 3 years to life expectancy!!!

Reseach was done.
They found several routines worked:
Walking for 30 minutes five or more days a week, either moderately or briskly, improved cardiorespiratory fitness. It worked just as well to walk briskly three to four days a week.
Only fast-paced walking on five or more days a week also led to short-term progress in cholesterol levels.

Lovely Day

A lovely day ... the sun is out ... and I'm not too busy. Work will never end, one will finish and another will come. I'm cool with it and it's cool with me.

Yesterday, I didn't stay back at office. After getting back the error report from the testers, I felt like strangling someone. It was a 30 page report with 137 errors. Whoa.... Yesterday, I managed to finish up the simple ones. Today, a fresh new start to do the rest - 68 more errors left.

My new record today, 3 days in a row, I slept 3 hours per day. Today, my sister is sitting for her Mathematics exam. Tomorrow is what worries her more, Physics. Hope for all the best, hope she stays cool through the whole exams which will end on 2nd December 2005.

Places - New Attraction in India

The Akshardham Temple in New Delhi, India







A mega temple complex in the national capital promises a unique glimpse of the Hindu religion and Indian culture. Spread over about 100 acres of land on the banks of the Yamuna river, the complex took more than two years in the making and cost around Rs.2 billion. The 141-foot high main monument, an architectural marvel in pink sandstone and while marble, has a statue of lord Swaminarayan in the sanctum sanctorum along with statues of Hindu deities. Designed and sculpted entirely according to the ancient Indian traditions, it has 234 ornate pillars, 20,000 statues, decorative arches and layers of sculpted flora and fauna.

'Sanskruti Vihar', an exhibition hall, has a 12-minute boat ride through tableaux that showcase India's cultural diversity beginning with the Vedic age: it has lifelike installations showing a typical Vedic village with its market, schools, households and dispensaries. Theme halls highlight various values in tableaux where statues come alive with animation and background voices, touching upon values like vegetarianism and non-violence. The complex will also have a sight-and-sound show twice every evening.

Mysterious World - Animals - Polar Bears

Polar Bear: ursus maritimus or sea bear

Lifespan: 25 years

Address: Artic

Environment temperature: -40° F or -50° F

Body temperature: 98.6°

Appearance: water-repellent white fur, black skin

Weight: 200 kg to 800 kg

Height: 6 feet to 9 feet

Diet: seals, walruses, fish, seabirds, reindeer, grass, mushroom, berries, kelp

Swimming speed: six miles per hour

Polar bears don't drink water.
Polar bears are the largest land carnivore.
Polar bears have more problems with overheating than they do with cold.
Polar bears generally walk at a leisurely pace to keep from overheating.

Polar bears are a threatened species. Why?
Climate Change
Polution
Drilling and Mining
Harvesting and Hunting

Hip Hip Horay!

At last, I managed to finish my work. Now I just have to run through my own quality assurance testing. You guys must be wondering what I do. Well I'm a programmer. Yip Yip Yippie! Touch up and I can happily go for my lunch. As I came early today again, and I knew the office won't be open I wen't walking by the lake. I met two fresh water turtles. Then, went upstairs to my office and read the newspaper. Update from yesterday's news. Malaysia's government do not accept the two guys who got married as a valid marriage. It is not allowed in our country. Although one has gone through a sex change, his identity card still shows that he is a male. Poor guys. After spending a million dollars on a grand wedding, they are back to where they started from.

Today Tuesday

Whoa, I feel fresh today. Actually, I'm trying to mentally manupulate my brain, telling it that I am fresh and I had enough sleep. I hope it works. Like the day before I hardly got 3 hours of sleep. I have nearly completed my work. It would only be a relief when I complete it fully. Yesterday, I was watching some videos which I downloaded from www.mrsikhnet.com, wow they kinda opened my eyes a bit. Guruka Singh Khalsa knows so much and I hope he carries on providing such videos to help guide us in our lives. Thanks to Guruka Singh Khalsa and of course, thanks to Gurumustak Singh Khalsa for having such a fantastic site and putting up such beneficial stuff.

Home at Last

Finally, I reached home at 8.30 pm. Unfortunately, I have not finished my work. The deadline was today and I have to complete it before going to work tomorrow. Tomorrow I should go early again and do the final touching up. How tiring? A Bath, rest and food - that was what I needed. So after getting all these, hmmm... a have a few things to do. Other than my work, I still would have to monitor my sister. Actually, I could have finished my work at the office. My colleges needed some other things to be done at the same time, so I had to stop in between to do other work. Anyway, home sweet home.

Still at Work

Oh, when is my work going to end. It's already 6.30 pm and a lot more to go. I'm just too tired to carry on ... mentally. My sister is at home studying already. I'm happy that her exams went well. Now, she has a lot to memorize ... Sejarah (History). English she has to read a lot too. Short stories, poems and novels. I didn't have all that when I sat for SPM. What a refief! Pity my sister and all those sitting for SPM. I think I have to leave office at least by 7.30 pm.

Work Work Work

As I had expected, before I can finish my work, more work is on my shoulders. Oh dear why is the timing so bad. Just when SPM is starting, my work load increses to tripple. I was thinking of skipping lunch, but then too much stress is bad. So, I went for a break and pampered myself with a western dish, Maryland Chicken. Delicious and most filling. Now I am bloated and a bit sleepy. I will not rest....I can do it....finish before deadline today. If I do I don't have to stay back.

Thanks to my dear friend who sent me some funny

mails that cheered me up.